Uncategorized
- Materials Science
Between the Sheets: In reactors and nanotubes, errant atoms get a grip
A new computer simulation predicts that neutron irradiation of graphite displaces atoms and bonds in unexpected ways.
By Peter Weiss - Materials Science
Invent by Number: Researchers predict, then produce superior titanium alloys
Researchers have developed a new method or making titanium-based alloys with many qualities far superior to those in any alloy previously known.
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Left brain hammers out tool use
Structures in the brain's left hemisphere coordinate the ability to use familiar tools such as hammers and saws.
By Bruce Bower -
Gestures help words become memorable
Relevant hand gestures make a speaker's words more memorable to listeners, whereas inappropriate hand gestures undermine recall for what was previously said.
By Bruce Bower - Earth
Solving one mystery of polar wander
Long-term fluctuations in pressure at the ocean's bottom may be the driving force for the Chandler wobble, which causes the North Pole to wander about 20 feet every 14 months or so.
By Sid Perkins - Earth
Early web-footed bird made impression
Researchers have discovered the fossil tracks of an otherwise unknown bird in 110-million-year-old sediments, which pushes back evidence of web-footed birds by at least 25 million years.
By Sid Perkins - Earth
Where’s Waldo . . . and 6 billion others?
Scientists have combined satellite imagery and detailed census data to develop a worldwide database that can provide estimates of the number of people located in areas on a grid that has boxes with areas of 1 square kilometer or less.
By Sid Perkins -
Wasp redesigns web of doomed spider
A wasp larva injects a spider with a web-altering drug, driving the spider to spin a shelter just right for a wasp cocoon.
By Susan Milius -
Parasite deludes rats into liking cats
A protozoan that infects rats dims their wariness around cats and can even lead to what Oxford researchers call a fatal attraction.
By Susan Milius -
Banning deer boosts migratory birds
In a 9-year test, excluding deer raised the population numbers among bird species, such as hooded warblers, that have a high conservation priority.
By Susan Milius -
Hypnotic hues in the brain
Hypnosis uniquely colors the activity of brain areas involved in visual perception, supporting the view that hypnotized people enter a distinct psychological state rather than only play a role designed to please the hypnotist.
By Bruce Bower -
Babies posture to learn
Infants make better action-oriented decisions when they adopt a familiar posture, such as sitting upright, instead of an unfamiliar one, such as crawling.
By Bruce Bower